Mass rapid transit system changes turnstiles to gates

Commuters who have ever struggled with an MRT turnstile will be relieved to know that a new gate system will be launched at the end of this month.

To provide more convenient and faster service at MRT stations, the Taipei City Department of Rapid Transit on Wednesday introduced a new station entry/exit mechanism that opens like a door.

"For the disabled, the elderly and people who carry a lot of bags or luggage, the design of this new system provides a more convenient service," departmental head Chang Chi-de (常歧德) told the Taipei Times yesterday.

The department said the new system will be installed and launched in Linguang Station, Xin Beitou Station and Shandao Temple Station at the end of this month.

The system will be installed in all other MRT stations by August next year.

To comply with the new system, the department said one-way MRT cards will be replaced by tokens with IC cards placed inside.

"The magnetic cards are easily worn, whereas a token can be used as much as 34,000 times and it is hard to forge," Chang said.

According to the department, the new gate system is equipped with a detector that will prevent the gate from opening if two people attempt to use it at the same time.

Together with MRT stations on the Lujhou and Neihu lines, now under construction, a total of 104 MRT stations will eventually be equipped with the new system, the department said.